A Look Inside America's First Cat Cafe

Cities like San Francisco, Portland, and Montreal are racing to open North America’s first cat cafe. But it appears New York City has snuck in and stole the title, temporarily at least.

Pet food company Purina ONE and Long Island-based rescue agency North Shore Animal League have joined forces to set up a temporary cat cafe in New York City's Bowery neighborhood this week. From Thursday through Sunday, guests will be able to sip "Cat'achinos" in the company of shelter kittens. And if anyone happens to fall in love with a special kitty? Good news, all of them are up for adoption.

According to Gothamist, the cafe's food handling arm is separate from the lounge where the 16 cats will roam. This set-up, along with the fact that food and beverages are free, probably helped the organizers get past the thorny regulations prohibiting animals from food facilities. It's a hurdle permanent cat cafes also have to overcome.

As enthusiasm builds for American cat cafes, this pop-up operation is surely a taste of bigger things to come. Here’s a selection of photos and videos already streaming in from today’s media preview for the event.